Preventing a furry four legged Christmas gift from being returned

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee(WDEF) – The Humane Educational Society of Hamilton County is warning people to do their homework before adopting pets as Christmas gifts.

When it comes to dogs and cats, most people would agree the animals are cute, cuddly and full of energy. And that is what most people would find when they walked through the doors of the Humane Educational Society shelter in Chattanooga. But the shelter is near capacity with more than 500 dogs and cats that need to find new homes.

"This is great time to clean out the shelter as we say. We want to clean it out and make room for new animals coming in next year," said HES Volunteer Coordinator Jeanine Cloyd.

To clean house, the shelter is hosting a holiday all-nighter adoptathon this Friday from noon to midnight. Adoption fees will be significantly reduced.

"We will be adopting cats for $12 and dogs for $24," Cloyd said.

At that price, many people are expected to come in an and adopt an animal as a Christmas gift. It sounds like a great idea but in reality it’s an idea that is known to backfire. Every year across the nation, people purchase animals as Christmas gifts that are often returned back to the shelter or animal store within a couple of weeks because the animal wasn’t a perfect fit for the person it was intended for.

"Instead of surprising someone with a dog or a cart, it would be much better to come as a family unit. Come down, visit and meet the animal that everybody clicks with. Do it that way," Cloyd advised.

And if a person already has a pet, it’s not a good idea to bring a new animal into their home without first doing a meet and greet.

Another pitfall with pets as holiday gifts is the lack of patience on the part of the adopter. Not every animal will be house trained and not every animal quickly acclimates to a new home.

"When you bring any new animal into your home, there’s a learning curve for both of you," Cloyd said.

Animal experts say understanding these fact before adopting will decrease the chance of dogs and cats returning back to the shelter after Christmas.

In an effort to help people pick the right animal during Friday’s event, Humane Educational Society employees and volunteers will be on hand to answer any questions about a particular dog so or cat so people will know what they are taking home.

The holiday adoption event will be held at the Hamilton County Animal Shelter which is located at 212 N. Highland Park Avenue in Chattanooga. The event begins at noon on Friday and will continue until midnight. If anyone has questions, they’re encouraged to call the shelter at 423-624-5302.